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SJS approves petition against 24-hour lock policy

By Kelly Butorac | March 8th, 2013

In a 12 to 1 vote at Monday’s meeting, the St. John’s Senate approved the beginnings of a petition to combat the 24-hour lock policy set in place by SJU.

The policy has been in the making for 18 months by several SJU and CSB administrators. It will enforce a 24-hour lock policy on SJU student housing, similar to the CSB security system. Concrete decisions have not been made. Many students disapprove because of the inconvenience, both for SJU and CSB students, it presents.

SJS Vice President Alex Ricci is spearheading the petition’s initiative. He presented a draft of the document to the Senate on Monday. He suggested that the Senate had two options: to sign a petition and support the popular student opinion on the matter, or work with the administration to create a new plan.

“I will dedicate any leisure time I have to get as many people as I can get to sign this petition,” Ricci said.

The senate had fears that in supporting this petition, their credibility and voice would lose merit in future negotiations with the administration.

“I think the best approach is to how to keep moving it forward, and working with procedures to make it as friendly as possible,” Mike Connolly, SJS adviser and SJU Dean of Students, said.

Senator Drew Breyer represented the one vote in opposition to Ricci’s proposal.

“I think a petition is absolutely the wrong thing we could do to represent the Senate and to represent the student body,” Breyer said.

Supporters of the petition understand that it is highly unlikely their efforts will hold any merit.

“I believe in doing the right thing, even if it doesn’t pass, I believe that representing the student’s voices is the right thing to do,” Senator Beau Grams said.

Senators also expressed concern with the language choices in Ricci’s petition, stating some words were too impassioned and cruel. The final draft will have less demeaning language. Ricci and his fellow senators will soon begin their quest to reach as many individuals as possible and gather as many signatures as necessary.

The next meeting of the St. John’s Senate will be at 9:20 p.m. on March 11 in Sexton 200.